Japan's Jiroemon Kimura Is Awarded the Title of World's Oldest Man Ever

115-year-old Kimura is also the oldest person in the world

115-year-old Jiroemon Kimura is breaking all kinds of records these days. The Japan native was born in 1897, on April 19.

Kimura is now the oldest person in the world, following the demise of Dina Manfredini of Johnston, Iowa, on December 17. Manfredini herself had only held the title for 2 weeks, reports say.

He is also the oldest man to ever live, and only the third in history to reach the age of 115. Christian Mortensen before him lived to be 115 years for 252 days. According to the Telegraph, he passed away in 1998.

A resident of Kyotango, near Kyoto, Mr. Kimura can pride himself with an extremely big family. He has 4 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren and 13 great-great-grandchildren, and he's still counting.

“Maybe it's all thanks to the sun above me. I am always looking up towards the sky, that is how I am,” he says.